HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/09/2025 - Memorandum from Lori F. Schwarz re Development Approval Process Improvements Update
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Memorandum
Date: December 2, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director, Planning Development & Transportation
From: Lori F. Schwarz, AICP, PDT Deputy Director, Planning & Development Services,
lschwarz@fcgov.com
Subject: Development Approval Process Improvements Update
At the March 25, 2025, Work Session, City Council requested that Staff provide an update on
efforts that the multi-departmental staff is undertaking to improve customer experience through
the Development Approval process. This work began in early 2024 and multiple inter-related
initiatives are underway to simplify, streamline, and improve business processes. This is the
third update memo being provided to City Council for work completed in September –
November 2025.
Background
The Development Approval Process encompasses the work of multiple divisions/departments
across the City of Fort Collins that have land development regulations. The Planning
Department serves as the custodian of the process during the Development Review phase; the
Building Services Department facilitates the permit approval process through final inspections
and the Certificate of Occupancy. Key initiatives to be addressed include:
Development Review Oversight
Regulatory Alignment
Affordable Housing process improvements
Customer Experience Improvements
FC Clear: Digital Experience
Work in Progress
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Development Review Oversight: Better Communication and Faster, Clearer Answers
Primary Purpose: As a continuation of the work begun in early 2024, there are two multi-
departmental working groups that are focused on ensuring communication between
departments during the Development Approval Process.
Update:
A multi-departmental Rapid Response team has been created to address critical issues
affecting business owners. The structure has proven effective to quickly gather pertinent
staff members to respond to business-related issues for quicker resolution.
Business Engagement Executive Team (BEET) met in September to discuss case
studies relating to liquor licensing and review the activities of the Rapid Response team.
Members of the Development Review Executive and Lead Teams met on November 17,
2025, for a half-day Development Summit. Staff reflected on the evolution of the
development process, discussed shared values and alignment, and prioritized actions
for organizational improvement in 2026, including clear goals and metrics for
accountability, customer experience and operational excellence.
Outcomes:
Faster resolution of issues due to increased cross-departmental communication during
the Development Approval Process.
More predictable outcomes through shared policies and procedures that remove
inconsistencies between departments.
Rapid response to urgent business needs via a multi-department team dedicated to
solving critical problems affecting projects.
Regulatory Alignment: Clearer Rules, Less Confusion
Primary Purpose: As identified by City Council, there are multiple projects underway to provide
regulatory alignment across the Development Approval departments.
Update:
Planning and Development Services (PDS) led initiatives:
Land Use Code for Commercial Corridors and Centers:
o October 14, 2025: City Council work session
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o Presented to, and received recommendations from: Planning and Zoning
Commission, Active Modes Advisory Board, Economic Advisory Board,
Affordable Housing Board and Transportation Board.
o October 21, 2025: First Reading of Land Use Code ordinance
o December 2, 2025: Second Reading of Land Use Code ordinance
Building Code, in conjunction with the 2024 International Code Council (ICC):
o September 9, 2025: Building Code Adoption Committee recommendations
discussed with City Council at their work session, including Energy Code
modifications and state-mandated Wildland Urban Interface Code.
o Presented to, and received recommendations from: Building Review
Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Natural Resource Advisory
Board, Air Quality Advisory Board, Energy Board, Affordable Housing Board and
Poudre Fire Authority Board.
o December 2, 2025: First Reading of Building, Energy Code, and WUI ordinances
o December 16, 2025: Second Reading of Building, Energy Code, and WUI
ordinances
Historic Preservation Code:
o Project initiation has been delayed to 2026 due to further review of existing codes
and resourcing constraints.
Sound in the City/Noise Ordinance:
o The community-wide survey concluded at the end of September with 2,680
responses received in both English and Spanish.
o On Thursday, October 9th, a Community Roundtable event was held at The
Lincoln Center with 55 attendees. The Executive Summary of the event is
available on the project webpage: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/sound-in-the-city
o Staff are continuing to research peer cities and are scheduled to provide
information to City Council at the January 27, 2026, Work Session.
Development-related citywide Initiatives:
Coordination between PDS, Sales Tax Office, Engineering, Finance and the City
Attorney’s Office for Development Impact Fee framework. At the November 3, 2025, City
Council meeting, an updated Capital Expansion Fee schedule was adopted at Second
Reading. As part of the fee review process, City staff determined there are necessary
changes to the implementation portion of the ordinance to clarify language related to the
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effective application of fees during the Development Approval Process.
Recommendations are being finalized with an anticipated First Reading by City Council in
early 2026.
Outcomes:
Simpler, more consistent regulations across land use, building, historic preservation, and
noise codes—reducing the need for repeated redesigns.
Up-to-date codes (Building, Fire, Energy, and Wildland Urban Interface) that balance
safety, sustainability, and efficiency.
Better fee clarity through coordinated work between development, finance, and
engineering—ensuring fees are applied fairly and transparently.
Clearer expectations earlier in the process as City standards (water efficiency, street
design, stormwater) are refined and conflicts between priorities are resolved before they
impact projects.
Affordable Housing Process Improvements: 90 Day Reviews for Eligible Projects
Purpose: Staff have been working with a consultant to develop a 90-day review process for
Affordable Housing projects, in accordance with Colorado Proposition 123. Final
recommendations must be completed, implemented and demonstrated by November 1, 2026.
Update: Staff tested the affordable housing charrette requirement with Hartford Homes during
this quarter. Feedback from Hartford representatives indicated they found it to be a useful
addition to the normal Development Review process. Based on their comments, we are refining
the charrette process to be more beneficial to affordable housing developers.
Outcomes:
Shorter review times for affordable housing projects, in alignment with Proposition 123
requirements.
Streamlined processes for affordable housing projects that may later be adapted for
other development projects.
Clear timelines and predictable milestones, making project planning easier for
developers and housing partners.
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Customer Experience Improvements: A Smoother Path from Submittal to Approval
Purpose: There are several projects currently underway to improve customer experience
through development submittal and approval. The primary focus for this work is the in-person
customer experience; however, there are also significant efforts to leverage technology that also
improve the digital experience.
Update: PDS staff continue to participate in several overarching City projects that focus on
enhancing customer experience, such as:
Accessible and informative municipal website, which will go-live on December 10th
Qualtrics experience management software, including piloting a targeted customer
satisfaction and experience survey to begin building our data foundation. In 2026, this
will expand into a more comprehensive, flowchart-style survey designed to pinpoint
specific opportunities within our processes and drive deeper insights.
Specific customer experience improvements completed and underway within the Planning and
Development Services department include:
Installation of new wayfinding signage at 281 North College to improve customer
experience. This includes entry doors signage as well as directed signage to the
Development Service Center counter. The Service Center also has a new digital
information screen for key initiatives and development items affecting our customers.
PDS Director and managers are continuing to meet with developers and business
owners to understand their experience with the Development Approval Process and
resolve any outstanding project issues.
Several departments are continuing to meet to address the continued growth and
popularity of charter schools that are often expanding into commercial and industrial
areas. An unexpected consequence of these new schools has been the impact on liquor
license proximity requirements for surrounding businesses. The Economic Health and
City Clerk’s offices are leading this work to receive stakeholder feedback and consider
an ordinance amendment to resolve proximity conflicts.
Outcomes:
A more welcoming in-person experience at the Development Service counter.
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Better online resources through an improved City website, making it easier to find
requirements, forms, and guidance.
More complete understanding of compliance requirements leading to fewer surprises for
business owners before operating due to closer coordination between permitting,
licensing, and inspections.
Consistent response times and streamlined processes that cut delays caused by internal
hand-offs.
Digital Experience – FC CLEAR: 24/7 Access by Late 2026
Purpose: One of the largest digital transformations that the City of Fort Collins has undertaken is
the replacement of the legacy software program that manages the development review process.
The project, internally referred to as FC CLEAR (City Licensing, Enforcement, Approval and
Review), is headed by teams in CDNS and Information Technology.
Updates: Key milestones this quarter include:
Assess and Define sessions, which began in July, are nearing completion.
Configuration reviews and testing have begun for initial process prototypes. This phase
is expected to be complete by March 2026.
Outcomes:
Round-the-clock online access to submit applications, check status, and track project
milestones.
More transparent communication through real-time status updates.
Reduced need for in-person visits as more services move online.
Faster turnaround times due to better internal workflows and fewer bottlenecks in the review
process.
Next Steps
Staff will continue to provide milestone updates on the key initiatives as a memorandum to keep
Council apprised of the city-wide efforts to improve the overall Development Approval Process.
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